Desert Lake
44.5428° N, 76.5889° W
Depth contours from the 1971 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Desert Lake, Ontario. 44.5428° N, 76.5889° W
Maximum depth 67.1 m (1971 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/desert-lake/, compiled October 9, 2026
- Canadian Geographical Names Database, Natural Resources Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- HydroLAKES v1.0, Messager et al. 2016 / WWF HydroSHEDS. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Census boundaries and population, 2021, Statistics Canada. Adapted from Statistics Canada. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada.
- Aquatic Resource Area survey points, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Fishing access points, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Fisheries Management Zones, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Lake Partner Program, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Bathymetry lines and survey index, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- City page weather forecasts and alerts, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- Air Quality Health Index observations and forecasts, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Desert Lake is 67.1 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 97% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 3.83 km² and lies 3.1 km east of Glendower.
Government surveys have recorded 7 fish species here, including bluegill, cisco and lake trout.
- Maximum depth
- 67.1 msurveyed 1971
- deeper than 97% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 3.83 km²
- larger than 89% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 29.4 km
- longer than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 5.8 mSecchi depth, 2020
- clearer than 88% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 7
- more than 61% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 138 m
Today on the water
10.2 °C
Observed at Sydenham, as of 3:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 12 p.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast shore.
| Time | 4 a.m. | 7 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 10 p.m. | 1 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Partly cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers this evening. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 5.
Weather: Sydenham (local forecast), as of 3:02 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:44 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:14 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:32 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:01 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:05 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:50 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Kingston, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
27% of Desert Lake is deeper than 30 m.
How to read it: the lake’s area is sorted from the shore to the deepest point. Where the curve is flat, large areas share one depth (flats and weed beds); where it drops, depth changes quickly (drop-offs).
The government depth survey from 1971 records a maximum depth of 67.1 m, drawn from 41 depth contours.
- Download the depth map (SVG)Printing this page gives the map on one sheet, with scale and sources.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
Fish
Sport fish by the share of the 2 government surveys (2011–2011) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (2)
- Slimy Sculpin 1
- Spoonhead Sculpin 1
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 7 species from Desert Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15-20 cm | 8 | 8 | PFAS |
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 2 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Largemouth Bass | 30-35 cm | 1 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | Do not eat | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 20-25 cm | 16 | 12 | Mercury |
* As defined in the guide, including children and people who are or may become pregnant. Limits are for the length the guide lists most often; they change with the size of the fish. Read the official guide
Fishing regulations: Fisheries Management Zone 18. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 20 years between 1996 and 2020; the latest annual mean is 5.8 m.
Getting on the water
1 listed boat launch. marks launches on the map.
- Boat launch
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.